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The latest Biotech News and Views |
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| Good morning! Germany-based biotech startup Detechgene has raised €3.2 million in a second Seed round to advance its portable molecular diagnostics platform, "PCR to Go," which delivers lab-level accuracy for detecting viruses, bacteria, and fungi in under 30 minutes without specialist equipment. Now, that's the kind of tool that would've been a pandemic hit, bringing lab results to your pocket faster than you could say "nasal swab." |
| Enjoy today's read! |
| - Joachim E. |
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| SNAPSHOT |
| Wugen secures $115M to fast-track first off-the-shelf CAR-T therapy for T-cell cancers |
 Photo: Wugen Inc. |
| Wugen raised $115M to advance its lead therapy, WU-CART-007, through a pivotal trial targeting FDA approval by 2027. |
| Why it matters: If approved, WU-CART-007 would be the first off-the-shelf CAR-T therapy for T-cell malignancies, a breakthrough in treating aggressive cancers like relapsed or refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL), where current CAR-T methods face safety and efficacy hurdles. Unlike many current CAR-T methods, WU-CART-007 targets CD7, common in most T-ALL and T-LBL patients. |
Backstory:
- Traditional CAR-T therapies for T-cell cancers risk contamination with cancerous cells or becoming "fratricide", a self-destructive effect where engineered cells attack themselves.
- Wugen's solution: Use donor cells and CRISPR to delete the CD7 receptor, making the CAR-T cells resistant to fratricide effects.
- Phase 1/2 trials showed a 91% response rate, prompting Wugen to shift its focus entirely to WU-CART-007.
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| Big picture: Wugen's approach could redefine cell therapy for T-cell cancers, a field with high unmet need. Success could pave the way for broader applications, including autoimmune disorders and other hematologic cancers. |
| What's next: With Wugen dropping its prior NK cell therapy candidates and betting big on WU-CART-007, the firm will likely target future trials to apply WU-CART-007 for T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, AML, and autoimmune diseases. |
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| SNIPPETS |
| What's happening in biotech today? |
| ✅ Euro greenlight: ExCellThera's subsidiary Cordex Biologics has received conditional approval from the European Commission for Zemcelpro, a novel, one-time stem cell therapy designed to treat adults with blood cancers who lack access to suitable donor cells for transplantation. Zemcelpro uses expanded stem cells from umbilical cord blood to provide a curative option following myeloablative conditioning. In clinical studies, 21 of 25 patients achieved neutrophil engraftment within 20 days. As the first approved therapy of its kind, it aims to address donor shortages that disproportionately affect certain populations. |
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| �� Paul's legacy: The Fund for Science and Technology (FFST), a new nonprofit foundation established from the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, has announced its inaugural research grants and a commitment to provide $500 million over the next four years to advance bioscience, environmental science, and AI development. Based in Seattle, FFST's initial recipients include Seattle Children's Hospital, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Benaroya Research Institute, and the University of Washington's College of the Environment. |
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| �� COVID shot: The FDA has approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax targeting the LP.8.1 subvariant for the 2025–2026 fall and winter seasons but limited their use to individuals at higher risk of severe illness. Adults 65 and older can broadly access the shots, while those under 65 must meet specific risk criteria. The move, supported by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reflects his broader policy shifts. |
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| �� Second success: RemeGen and Vor Bio have reported a successful phase 3 trial of telitacicept in treating IgA nephropathy (IgAN), marking the therapy's second late-stage win in two weeks, following success in Sjögren's disease. In a study involving 318 patients in China, telitacicept achieved its primary endpoint by reducing the 24-hour urine protein-to-creatinine ratio by 55% over 39 weeks compared to placebo. |
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| SNAP AGAIN |
| Biopharma 2024 slowdown threatens Massachusetts' leadership role |
 Photo: Boston Globe |
| Massachusetts lost 1,100 R&D jobs and saw biomanufacturing employment drop 1.5% in 2024, as biopharma companies contended with dwindling venture capital and federal funding cuts. |
| Why it matters: The contraction threatens Massachusetts' standing as a U.S. biotech leader and signals deeper challenges across the national biopharma ecosystem, from slowed innovation to talent loss. |
| Backstory: Massachusetts has led biopharma growth for years and has the IPOs to prove it, with a peak of 25 IPOs in the year 2021. This peak has sunk by quite a bit and is assisted by the rising interest rates, reduced M&A, and weak IPO markets since 2023. VC funding is down 17% year-over-year as of early 2025 and there has been only one biopharma IPO in MA in 2025. These economic problems have only been compounded by the Trump administration's policies around the FDA, NIH, and drug pricing. |
Big picture:
- NIH funding to Massachusetts dipped 1.4% in 2024 and could fall another $464M in 2025, driven by new federal budget cuts. The Trump administration's 2026 budget proposal would slash $18B more.
- China, meanwhile, grew its biopharma pipeline 17% last year (vs. 6.7% for MA), raising concerns that U.S. talent and innovation may shift overseas.
- Lab vacancies in Boston (38.3%) and Cambridge, MA (22.9%) underscore near-term challenges but could support long-term recovery as companies adapt.
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| Yes, but: In July 2025 alone, six Massachusetts-based biopharma companies were acquired for a combined $11 billion. This late surge in dealmaking contrasts with the muted M&A activity earlier in the year and may signal renewed investor confidence. |
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| Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical or AZoNetwork. |
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